Chip-based biosensors are increasingly used for detecting diseases at point-of-cares. Due at least to the portability of chip-based biosensors, chip-based biosensors can facilitate early detection of diseases and can act as diagnostics solutions in resource-limited environments.
In order to detect diseases, specific cells or biomolecules such as proteins and/or nucleic acids, will typically need to be isolated from a biological sample. Functionalized magnetic particles can be used to filter out those specific biomolecules and to suspend those functionalized magnetic particles into a known solution. The known solution can have a specific composition and volume. The functionalized magnetic particles can then be extracted from the known solution with magnetic elements, such as external magnets, on-chip magnets, and/or micro-electromagnets.
Although separating the functionalized magnetic particles with external magnets offers simplicity, on-chip magnets can offer other benefits.